We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julia Shelley . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julia below.

Alright, Julia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Day to day the world can seem like a tough place, but there’s also so much kindness in the world and we think talking about that kindness helps spread it and make the world a nicer, kinder place. Can you share a story of a time when someone did something really kind for you?

It was the first few months i started my buisness, a man (Bob) contacted me on Yelp to inquiry about a dinner party. He said that his wife was a great cook but he wanted her to relax and enjoy the night so he thought about hiring a French Chef. I showed up at their house to cook for a party of 10 , his wife Cheryl was extremely kind and sweet, she was taking care of me and my helper as much as her own guests, offering us wine and food. Made me feel at home with my own family. They were so appreciative and happy. Few weeks later she texted me and said : “who ever cooks for you? Who ever cooks for the Chef? I just got back from Italy with many recipes ideas would you like to come over for dinner? “
Of course i accepted, we never left each other’s since then, we became more than friends even if they are in their 70’ , we hang and see each other’s all the time for the last 4 years now, i call them my American family,

Julia , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a personal Chef, i always was very passionate with cooking and food in general. My parents had a little bistro restaurant in Lyon France where i grew up.
I was always helping my mom prepping , making desserts, serving customers since a very young age.

I was working in French restaurant but started to loose the passion doing the same things, making the same food, and cooking same menus every day. So i had to do something about it!
I called a friend in Orange County that is a personal chef and asked him if i could come and work with him for a day and see what he was doing!
I ended up loving it, the right next day i called and accountant, created a page and Yelp and Google and just like that i built my little French Chef At home business.

At first i thought it was going to be a weekend or “extra job” but two days later i already had a booking! This family coming from Texas and renting a beautiful Airbnb on the beach booked me for a whole week.
I had no material, a very simple Menu, but i was just so relaxed and happy that a showed up with my old beach cooler, all the groceries and started to cook for them. They couldn’t believe they were my first clients! They even invited me to join them and eat at the table on the last day.
I knew right the way that i had found the right thing for me!

Surprisingly i started to get bookings after bookings, Honestly from lots of word to mouth! It never stopped since 2017 and became a full time job right the way.

One day cooked for a wonderful family in Rancho Santa Fe, i can’t count how many times they booked me, for little dinner parties of 10/12, or big garden parties of hundred people…. They introduced me to many of their guests/friends / neighbors/family that then booked me as well..
I am very grateful to them. Another family that makes you feel at home and are always so thankful and grateful to have you. The type of people that makes you want to always be better and always keep going.

I also have lots of clients that travels to San Diego from other states, coming for a family trip, a big bachelorette party, a business Trip..

I work with some concierges in San Diego that are looking to book a chef for their clients.

I also working with my brother and sister in law that have a vacation rental company, their guests would inquiry with me to have a chef during their stay.

I recently started working with the French-American Chambers of commerce for large events of a hundred people and more.

As well as my friend Jessica. She is a French event planner, she contract chefs and i contract event planners when people are looking for very beautiful tables, garden set up, special parties so our partnership is amazing.

Like you can see, my job is very diverse, and never boring.
The difficult part is to never forget anything, my brain is constantly thinking and working, i ll have no days off, there is always something to rent, to buy , to pick up, lots of emails, phone calls, invoices…

I do love to create custom menus for my clients, instead to have them choose in a set menu. I love looking for very high end organic products, and things that you don’t see often in restaurants.
That makes it little more difficult and challenging but way more exciting.

It is also very physical, load the cars with plates pan and pots early and , unload at midnight after 16 hours on your feet. Doing it again the next day at 6am to go to a brunch job …
You Often forget to eat or drink enough water!

Yet i still love it and wouldn’t do anything else! My boyfriend and friends are calling me hyper! Ahah

I wasn’t very big on social media, but this is something you have to do now-days, so i created a page on Instagram, after i participated in a tv show in LA last years i started to see that my followers were increasing and even started to get booking from social media!
Some people stop me at the store or in the street to tell me they have seeing me on tv! So funny :)

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think consistency helped me build a reputation. The fact that i am French helped a lot too. France has a great culinary reputation and people enjoy to try new things, travel from a plate of food.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Covid! Covid was a tough journey for all businesses, it was uncertain times and very blurry. I didn’t know if the business was going to survive the loss, all the wedding and parties canceled for months.
I had to start doing deliveries and adopt a new business strategy.
Big thanks to all my regular and faithful clients that ordered food from to help me survive and keep the business going!
I also got covid from my little baby 8 month old niece, I lost my taste and smell for months!
I was desperate, a chef works with those senses exclusively! I cried many times.
I was starting to think of what I was going to do if I don’t get my senses back!
Thanks god it came back little by little and I still can cook and serve my dear customers!

Contact Info:

• Website: Personalfrenchchefathome.com
• Instagram: @frenchchefathome_
• Facebook: French chef at home
• Linkedin: Julia shelley
• Yelp: French chef at home

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